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Author Notes: From soups to tortas, black beans and chorizo have a long history of sharing the same pot. This simple chili recipe pairs staple ingredients like beef and beans along with ground Mexican chorizo. Since chorizo sausage is loaded with spices and flavor, only a moderate amount of chili powder and cumin is needed to round out this dish -- an easy recipe packed with flavor! —Ghost Tropic

Serves 4

1tablespoon cooking oil

1 onion, chopped

1/2pound ground Mexican chorizo, casing removed

1pound ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

16ounces can black beans, drained

16ounces can kidney beans, drained

16ounces can diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted)

16ounces can tomato sauce

2 hot chillies, minced (serrano, jalapeno, etc.)

1tablespoon chili powder

1tablespoon dried oregano

1teaspoon cumin

1teaspoon coriander

1/4teaspoon salt

1/4 can good beer (optional)

cilantro, for garnish

Add the oil to a large frying pan over medium-high heat, then brown the onion, beef, and chorizo for about 3-4 minutes. Don't stir too often, allowing the onions and meat to brown on one side. Break apart any large clumps of ground meat.

Add the meat and onions to a heavy-bottomed pot, along with all the remaining ingredients. Make sure to wear latex gloves when handling the hot peppers!

If using beer (I recommend Guinness), pour just enough to cover the ingredients with liquid -- no more than half a can should be needed.

Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes. If you find a lot of liquid forming on top of the chili, stir the chili and continue to cook with the lid removed. Serve garnished with chopped fresh cilantro.

Variations: Since the chorizo sausage is naturally spicy and flavorful, you can easily make this recipe without the hot chillies. An alternative is to add a few squirts of Sriracha sauce when combining the ingredients. Other beans can be substituted, such as pinto beans, but make sure at least one can is black beans!